- - Dont you just hate it
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dsssox13

06-22-2010 01:29 PM

Dont you just hate it

So i live in northern central MA and there a lot of streams and rivers around, great for trout fishing. i went to a different area today so get a change of the new places and it was an unbelievable spot. The water was clear as anything and had nice little pools everywhere with basically rock cliffs under water. Anyways i see trout everywhere just hanging out and thought t would be a great day. Little do i know they want nothing to do with any of my flies. Granted im fairly new and dont have the biggest selection. But dont you hate when you present the flies right in front of them and they act as if they dont exist. I used dries and wets, the only action i got out of them was to check out a #14 copper john and then swim away like it was junk. Anyone else ever run into these times? and if you live up here and fish these areas (Nissitissit River), have any suggestions on what to use? or does anyone have luck with inchworm patterns? thanks a lot.

utc2011

06-22-2010 02:00 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

Hey,
I dont really have any great suggestions for you as I am new to fly fishing, but I was wondering where you were fishing on the nissitissit? I live in your area and I'm looking for some good fishing spots. Do you have any other good places as well?
One thing I can think of (any more knowledgeable people feel free to correct me) is that the water temperatures are too high after tehse past few hot days. I was going to finish the quinapoxet river today but the water temp was 76 degrees.
Thanks

MoscaPescador

06-22-2010 02:01 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

It would not hurt for you to become more familiar with the entomology of the water system. If you have a better understanding of the buglife, you will have a better idea of what the fish eat.

Go to your local fly shop and ask the shop staff about bugs. Whoever is working there should be able to tell you of the different types and the flies that represent them. The shop guys can narrow down your fly selection for specific times of the year.

When you are on the stream, flip over a few rocks or seine it. You will see the bugs that are in the water. From there you can match bugs what you have in your fly box.

MP

dsssox13

06-22-2010 02:09 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

thanks a lot for the responses, and i fish the nissitissit right by either or bridges in pepperell, down by lordon or shattuck oil cant remember which one it is. but if you want to take a little trip, about an hour out to south royalston, you can fish Millers river. Great river for trout fishing.

Rip Tide

06-22-2010 02:37 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

Those little chartreuse inchworms work really well this time of year. Easy to tie too. ;)
The Green Weenie is suppose to be a caddis larva, but works just as well as an inchwormFly of the Month

If you got a nose and refusal on the copperjohn, then chances are you are close...So at that point, say to yourself, okay nymphs, then either do a screen test (hold a fine-meshed fabric screen in the water flow for about 30 seconds) and check the screen for bugs (they will be eating something that will also get caught in your screen) or start tying on variations of what the fish looked at then refused. My next fly in that situation would be a bead-headed prince nymph or a brassy or a little midge. The fact that it got checked out at least puts you in the right category.

dsssox13

06-22-2010 02:42 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

thanks again for the responses, and yeah the funny part was i threw on a prince nymph and they snubbed me again haha but the bluegill lovedd it. They are a pain but are actually fun to fight.

racine

06-22-2010 03:29 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

What it may boil down to is presentation. Do some reading on this here and look up things like drag, micro drag, floatant application, tippet selection/length, stealth, and many others. I guess this is the lure of the sport. On those occasions you can put it together and you get your take the satisfaction is tremendous. What I love is fishing next to a spin/bait/lure fisherman and outfishing them with the limited distance of the fly line. Not that I'm elitist but that I know I've come closer to mastering the basics of enticing fish with a fly I've tied and putting all the elements together to bring lunch or dinner possible. Flyfishing is not the endall, just another variation of a peaceful pastime.

peregrines

06-22-2010 03:35 PM

Re: Dont you just hate it

Dsssox13
It sure can be frustrating. You’ve gotten great responses. Just to add to what the others have said.
-try to make sure you’re getting a natural presentation with a drag free drift,
-anticipate what you might find hatching on stream by consulting with a fly shop and having a few patterns of the most likely suspects,
-once on stream, try and match the naturals as best as you can in order of priority size, shade (light, medium dark), profile and color,
-look for evidence of feeding—are they on nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners caddis pupa and adults.
-carry a few terrestrial patterns (hoppers, ants and a few beetles). These are good dries to search with you attempts to match the hatch.
This link on “mending” might help you get a drag free drift.Fly Fishing, Fly Presentation, Mending - MidCurrent
These guys in Pepperell should be able to help with local knowledge of hatches and suggestions on patternsEvening Sun Fly Shop - northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire - Fly fishing & fly tying supplies, equipment, and instruction
And as Mosca and others have said, learning about some of the major hatches and how to recognize them and how to fish them will help improve your odds of hooking up (and can be pretty interesting and fun when you get into it).
This time of year (late June/July) there are a bunch of insects that could be hatching, and this will vary from stream to stream, but some of the more common ones you’re likely to run into are:
Sulphurs (Ephemerella dorothea) 16-18
Sulphurs (Ephemerella invaria, rotunda) 14 - 16
Light Cahills (Stenonema candense)
Blue Wing Olives (Baetis vagans) 18-20
Tiny Blue Wing Olives (Pseudocleon anoka) 22-24
Tan Caddis (Hydropsyche various species) olive gray body, tan wing ginger hackle size 14-18
Alderfly/Zebra Caddis (Macronema zebratum) with dark gray body, Mottled tan and brown wing, brown hackle size 12-14
You can find more info on these hatches and pictures of the live insects in various stages of their life cycle by looking them up on Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout

If you want to learn more about hatches in your area I highly recommend this book (BTW a lot of the hatches in the book are also found in streams all over the East.):